Translucent bottom handbag



Nov. 16, 1943. s. B. HUME 2,334.410

TRANSLUCENT BOTTOM HANDBAG Filed Aug. 31, 1942 Patented Nov. 16, 1943 Gertrude I Hume, olaremont, Cal f,

Aipplication August 31, 1942, Serial No. 456,7 22

eciai gl c1. 150-28) This i-nven-tion- 'ha's to do; generally with im provements in bags, purses and the likerpar? ti'cularl y ladies handbags, and has 'for its major object to providenovel features of construction permitting illumination and clear visibility "of the interior of thebag and its con-tents.

A co'inmon'experience is that articles in-fthe bottom of the ba'g cannot easilybe' found or identified because' of the dark interior of the bag. occasioned by its; depth and the. fact that bags are made of leath'er, fabrics or other opaque mag.

terials, permitting no passagefot: light into the j covered an effective, yet extremely simple means whereby the entire contents of the bag maybe illuminated to a degree of clear visibility, without complicating the form and construction of the bag, and without affecting its desirable appearance. i V

This objective may be accomplished bymaking the main body portion of the bag of an opaque material, leather for example, to give desired texture, color and general appearance, and incorporating in the bag a translucent portion or wall, through which light passes in such relation I portions interconnected at the bottom, by a translucent expansion section, The latter may be transparent, or opaque to a limited degree rendering the material capable of passing the necessary light. Preferably the translucent piece will be opaque to a degree preventing the bag contents frombeing identified from the outside. By forming the bottom of translucent material,

light is permitted to enter the bag through its bottom, thus placing the bag contents directly between the light'source and the vision of one looking into the bag. It may be desirable to use a flexible translucent material which can be formed and fiexed as a single expansion piece, or used in sections interconnected by a flexible joint or hinge. Otherwise, the bottom of the bag can be made simply of a single relatively flat piece. Typical of suitable translucent materials,

are cellulose acetate, chlorinated synthetic rubber base, and various other synthetic translucent, flexible sheet materials now available, any of I The form of bag illustrated is shown to be of folded expansion pieces I I.

which may, carry pigments or other substances givingthe material someopacity. i

*The-inventionwilllbe understood and explained to better advantage by reference to the accom- J panyi'ngdrawing illustrative of the invention in and: preferred forms. In the certain typical drawing:- 4 p I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bag having a translucentbottom expansion piece; Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview' showing the end and bottom expansion pieces:

FigzB isa bottom view i Fig. 4 is a similar bottom view illustrating a variational; hinged form of translucent expansion piece; 1 a Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental view partly in'section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig.6 is a similar view showing the translucent wall inthe form of a substantially flat bottom piece. I

a usual design, comprising opaque side portions In of leather or other commonly employed mag terial interconnected at their ends by inwardly Such bags may have opaque bottoms or bottom expansion pieces, and are of such depth that the bottom contents, when viewed by opening the top I2, are not clearly visible because of the dark interior of the bag.

bending the translucent sheet l4 inwardly along a fold l5. The edges of the material [4 may be suitably secured, as by sewing or taping at I5 I to the bottom edges of the sides l0 and at l1. to I the end expansion pieces H. The translucent material' l4 may have sufficient inherent flexibility as to resist splitting along the fold IE, or along the seams I6 and [1, under condition of useage and of wear. p

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the bottom translucent expansion piece 3 is made in sections 19 and 20, secured to the sides l0 and end expansion pieces H, and interconnected at 2| by a suitable hinge. inFig. 5, the hinge may consist'of a fabric strip 22 sewed or taped to the sections I9 and 20, thus causing the hinge material to assume the bottom fiexture as the sides of the bag are collapsed or spread apart, instead of such flexture being taken by the translucent material itself.

Fig. 6 illustrates the use of a bottom trans- As shown lucent section 25 lacking the expansion characteristics of the above described forms, in that the section is relatively flat and maintains a uniform spread of the sides of the bag. As shown, section 25 may be set back at 26 sufficiently from the bottom edges of the sides to favor concealment of the bottom material.

As will be apparent, the translucent bottom permits direct entry of light to the bottom of the bag, illuminating. its contents and:placing the articles therein' directly in an illuminated line of vision through the open top of the bag.

As a result, the contents of the bag, or individual i articles therein, can be clearly seen and found without difliculty. Also it will be observed that in normal usage of the bag, its bottom section.

3. A bag of the character described adapted to be opened at its top, said bag comprising substantially opaque sides, and a normally inconspicuous translucent flexible expansion section between and allowing spreading apart of said sides, said expansion section passing sufficient light to clearly reveal the contents of the bag when viewed through its'open top.

4. A bag of the character described adapted to beopenedat its top, said bag comprising sub- "stantially opaque sides, "and a normally incon- Wm not be apparent in y Way to detract from the desired appearance of the? bag v I claim: U I

l. A bag of the character described adapted to be-opened at its top, said bag. comprising substantially opaquesides and a; translucent; sec tion -between said sides and passing suificient light- ,to clearly reyealthe contentsyof the bag when viewed through its open topwfiaid section being opaque to as degree preventing visualiden tification of the bag contents when viewed-from,

the outside through said section 2; A bag o f-the character described adapted to be opened at its top, said bag-comprising substantially opaque sides, and a normally inconspicuous translucent bottom section between said sidesand passing sufficientlight to clearly reveal the -contents of the bag when viewed through its open top. T

spicuous translucent flexible expansion section forming the bottom of the bag and permitting f's'preading apart of said sides, said expansion sectionl'passing sufiicient light to clearly reveal the'contents of the bag when'vi'ewed through its open top;

. V5.A:bag of the character described adapted to be opened at its top, said bag comprising substantially opaque sides, and a normally inconspicuous translucentand substantially flat section forming the bottom of the bag and passing sufficient light to clearly reveal the contents of the bagswhen viewed through its open top.,; -6.,-A bag of the character'described adapted to be opened at its top, said-bagcomprising,

substantially opaque sides, -.and a translucent bottom section between saidsides and passing, suflicient: light to clearly reveal; the contents of the bag when viewed through its open ton-said, bottom piece being opaque to a degreepreventing visual identification of the bagcontents when viewed from'the outside through said section. I

s sesame. HUME. 

